The Light in the Dark
by Sai-Katana
Summary: Hermione Granger is 18 years old and will be graduating from Hogwarts. Headmistress McGonagall has offered her a job at the school. Couldn't be more perfect right? Until she runs into an ex Potions Professor...SnapeHermione pairing rated for later chaps.
1. Unexpected Reunion

Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own Harry Potter!! They are all the creations of the brilliant J.K Rowling!!! So...no with the sueing ok? thank youz...

**Author's Note: I realize that many of my stories are left unfinished. Trust me though, I've already finished this story and I will post if people review enough and like it. Sooooo...you one of the people who likes this, better get people to review or else I won't post. **

**Anywayz..ON WITH THE STORY!!!**

"Are you serious Professor?" Hermione exclaimed for what seemed like the thousandth time. Professor McGonagall, now Headmistress McGonagall since Dumbledore's untimely demise, chuckled to herself. "Yes Ms. Granger, for the umpteenth time, I want you to take my past position as the Transfiguration professor. It'd be wonderful for Hogwarts to have this century's brightest and most brilliant witch to teach here." Hermione blushed at her mentor's compliment. "I don't know about that Professor." The elder woman rolled her eyes and smiled.

Hermione Granger, now 18 years old and will be graduating from Hogwarts in less than two days. Hermione had received many applications for jobs at the Ministry and several spell and charm making companies. Hermione appreciated all of this, but could not bring herself to separate from Hogwarts. The castle just held too many memories for her to just leave behind. Granted, some were not as pleasant as the others, but she adored them anyway. Harry was off to be Auror with Mad-Eye Moody as his mentor and Ron went to help his father out in the Muggle district at the Ministry until he can find a real job.

However, the threat of Lord Voldemort was still at large and the "Golden Trio" was not happy about that at all.

Especially Harry.

Albus Dumbledore, Harry's father figure, was murdered in front of him by the man Dumbledore trusted the most.

Severus Snape.

At the memory of her old Potions teacher, Hermione felt a wave of sadness wash over her. True he was cold, vicious, and down right nasty…but Hermione had always respected him. He was strong, brilliant, and powerful. And on several occasions he had even protected her. Needless to say the betrayal he committed hurt Hermione very deeply. Of course, she never told her friends of her respect for their most hated Professor, she decided that it'd be better if she didn't.

Now she looked to her mentor with great excitement that she might not have to leave Hogwarts after all. "So," McGonagall said, "would you like to become the new Transfiguration professor?" Hermione nearly leapt out of her seat with all the excitement she had inside. For a moment, she couldn't even answer.

"Of course, I understand if there is something else out there that you would rather do." The Headmistress said, leaning back in her chair.

"N-no Headmistress, that's not it at all! I would LOVE to work here at Hogwarts. I'm honored that you would select me to do so." The elder woman smiled, "I'm very pleased to hear that Miss Granger. Of course, as you well know, you will need to study it for five years as my apprentice." Hermione nodded, "Yes yes, I understand. I look forward to it Headmistress. Again, thank you so much!" Professor McGonagall stood, "You are very welcome my dear. Now I believe you must go before your friends, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, start to worry."

"Yes, you're right. Merlin knows what kind of trouble those two could be getting into."

The both of them giggled as they walked towards the door. Hermione surprised the Professor by hugging her tight.

She stood there for a moment, shocked, and then smiled as she wrapped her arms around Hermione. After a minute or two, they separated and Hermione swore she saw a tear falling down the elder woman's cheek. Hermione smiled and turned to leave, but then stopped as she remembered something. "Professor, may I ask a favor?"

"Of course you may."

"May I have permission to leave the premises to go to Diagon Alley? There are a few books I would like to buy."

McGonagall raised a curious eyebrow at the young woman. "Why must you go there? You know we have plenty books here in our library."

"Yes, but I'm not able to keep them over the summer am I?"

The Professor chuckled, "No, I suppose not." She sighed, contemplating whether or not she should let her go. Coming to resolution she sighed, "Oh, why not?" She waved her wand in the air and small card appeared in Hermione's hand. "Show that to anyone who would stop you. Now go on." Hermione smiled and walked out the door.

As soon as she entered the Gryffindor common room, she was ambushed by Ron and Harry. "Hermione are you ok? What did Professor McGonagall want?" Ron asked. Harry shoved Ron slightly before putting a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Ignore the blubbering worry wart. Just tell us what happened." Harry said as he led Hermione to sit on the couch. Ron followed, grumbling angrily to himself.

Hermione told them all that had happened as was pleased to see the delighted look on both their faces. "Hermione that's wonderful!" Harry exclaimed as he pulled her into a hug. Ron laughed and the both of them looked to the red head. Hermione crossed her arms, "And just what is so funny Ronald?"

"I pity the students you'll be teaching. They're going to have to so much bloody homework, their brains will explode!" He said before laughing again, joined by Harry and even Hermione giggled a bit. "Alright, well I need to head out. I'll be back soon." Hermione said as she left the common room.

Now standing outside of Hogwarts gate, she smiled up at the blue sky and winced when she looked too close the bright sun, then she apparated to Diagon Alley.

Severus Snape stumbled down the dark road of Knockturn Alley, grasping the walls every now and then to balance himself. People walked by him, not caring to help him out at all. He chuckled to himself, _Of course Severus. Who would want to help out a cretin like you? No one has but one person. And you murdered him. _

Finally unable to take it anymore, he slammed his back against the wall and slid to the ground. His face was bloody from the large gash on the side of his head from Lucius, and his body aching from Voldemort inflicting the Cruciatus Curse on him. True, his Lord had welcomed him with open arms when he heard that it was him that murdered Albus Dumbledore, but cast the curse upon him when he learned that Severus had been spying on him for the deceased Headmaster by use of the Veritaserum. Apparently, Voldemort wanted to test whether or not Severus really was loyal to him. Severus did not see this coming, and needless to say, he failed miserably. Draco was safe, just like he promised his mother. Now Snape was on his own, now that Voldemort cast him out.

Once again he chuckled to himself and smiled sadly. It was amazing that he didn't kill him. Severus was rather hoping that he did, he would've welcomed death with open arms. Groaning painfully, he tried to stand but found it too tiresome and painful and fell again. He could hear the people walking past him, snickering as they went. He could feel them pointing at him and smiling as they took in his wounds.

His face once again contorted with pain as he brought his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around them and, for the first time in a LONG time, Severus Snape began to cry.

Tears of frustrations, of sadness, of anger….of anguish.

He could still hear Dumbledore's last words: _"Please Severus…please…"_

Inside he could feel what was left of his heart shriveling and writhing in pain. His body shook as the sobs escaped him. Not caring who heard him he yelled to the sky, "Why! Why did you make me do this?!" Ironically, the sky darkened and it began to rain. Lightening flashed across the sky followed by the booming sound of thunder. "Why Albus?!" He yelled again, not noticing the person approaching him.

"Why…" his voice faded as he sank his head and let his legs fall painfully to the ground. The rain pounded on him and his hands fell to the ground as well. His head began to hurt like mad, and he became extremely dizzy. He looked up in time to see a rather shocked and drenched girl…with poofy brown hair, and then his world went black.


	2. I'm goin mad!

Disclaimer: Yes, don't own HP characters...all owned by J.K Rowlings...only the situations and pairings are mine! w00t!!!

**A/N: Ok, it seems that many people have looked at it, just not reviewed...REVIEW PEOPLE!!! I need to know what you guys think! Well...here's the next chapter for the one person who put it on alert and reviewed. THANK YOU!!!**

Hermione stared down at her former Potions professor in shock. She had accidentally apparated to Knockturn Alley when it had begun to rain. She looked to up at the sky disbelievingly. "Oh bloody hell. You know, I really love it here, but the weather here leaves a lot to be desired." She immediately tried to pull her jacket over her head and walked swiftly down the dark roads, avoiding the glares and sneers from the other people. Along the way, she heard the cries of someone. Curious, she headed towards the sound, determined to find it.

_He sounds so sad. I wonder what happened._ She thought as she got closer. She turned the corner and saw a black figure sitting on the ground, and she could barely make out the blood trailing down his face. "Oh Merlin! Sir?! Sir, are you ok!?" she asked as she ran closer towards him, dropping the jacket, allowing her head to be drenched by the pouring rain. But as soon as she got a clear view of who the black figure was, she froze. The last thing he said was, "Why…" then he looked up at her. He must've not recognized her because all he did was stare blankly at her, then pass out.

Hermione was too shocked and also too scared to move. _What should I do? Should I help him? _

_No! Don't you remember that he was the one who murdered Dumbledore?! Don't help out this black-hearted bastard!_

_You can't just leave him here! Look at him! He's unconscious and clearly hurt! You have to help him!_

_No you don't! It's what he deserves._

_No one deserves to just rot away in a dark alley…not even Snape._

Hermione grasped her head and fell to her knees as the two voices within her argued. Finally, she stood and began to walk away, but stopped short when she heard him groan. She turned her head and saw him stir. Before she could help it, she immediately ran to his side. "Professor Snape! Professor Snape can you hear me?" She asked frantically. He opened his eyes slightly, then closed them again as he drifted off to sleep. Hermione put a hand to his damp forehead, and pulled her hand immediately back at how hot he was.

_Gods! He's got a bad fever. That's it; I'm not leaving him here._ "But where am I supposed to take him?" She sat there for a minute and realized that the only place she could take him where it was safe is the one place where she always felt safe.

Hogwarts.

His quarters in the dungeons were still the same and vacant as far as she knew. She stood and slung one of his arms around her shoulders, put one arm around his waist and pulled him up to a semi-standing position. She half dragged, half carried him away from curious eyes and then apparated as close as she could to Hogwarts, and surprisingly enough, ended up right in front of the door. Putting a charm on them to make them invisible, she went inside and made her way to the dungeons, where Snape's quarters were.

Luckily for her, no one was roaming the halls, and thus easier for her to make her way to Snape's private quarters without getting caught. Snape was a lot heavier than he looked, and Hermione was having a hard time keeping him up. Finally unable to keep him up long enough, she cast a Levitation charm on him and he began to levitate beside her. Hermione quickly made her way to the dungeons, reaching behind her every now and then to make sure Snape was still there.

Finally, she came to a large wooden oak door. She tried the handle and was relieved to find it unlocked. Looking behind her to make sure no one was there; she levitated her former Professor into the room and went in behind him, softly shutting the door behind her. She lifted the invisibility charm and looked around Snape's chambers. Her heart began to pound in her chest and sweat began to fall from her brow when she realized that this was her first time inside his chambers. True, she, Harry and Ron had figured that his living quarters were just like the rest of him. Dark, damp and bat-like, almost like living in a cave.

Well, it was indeed dark, but not AT ALL damp and bat-like.

Actually, it had a nice homey feeling to it with all the antiques and fine wood furnishings. She was awed to see the fire immediately light up when she walked in, basking the room in nice orange glow. Before it was a large antique chair sitting on top of what looked like an Arabian carpet. Right beside the fireplace, she could barely make out black curtains that seemed to lead to another room. Looking back to see that Snape was still there, she made him follow her, she pushed to curtains aside and walked into the room.

The first thing that caught her attention was the grand four poster bed to her left that was pushed against the stone walls. Burgundy velvet drapes were tied to the lower oak posts. Atop the bed was a mixture of black and red pillows on top of a very cozy looking black comforter. Looking around the room, she smiled when she saw the lit candles floating around near the ceiling.

Completely awed by the elegance of his room, she forgot that Snape was unconscious and floating behind her. Inwardly smacking herself, she floated him over to the bed and laid him down on his back. She walked to his side and was able to finally get a good look at him. Hermione hissed when she was the large gash in the right side of his head. Looking at his body, she could tell that that was not the only injury that he had. The young girl gulped and felt her heart pound when she realized that she would have to remove his robes in order to see just how injured her ex-professor was. Well, she couldn't exactly go to Madame Pomfrey for assistance. The poor woman would faint at the sight of him. And going to Headmistress McGonagall was completely out of the question. Looking around, she tried to find his private bathroom.

Her eyes settled on the wooden door on the other side of the room. She quickly walked over to it and opened it. Looking inside, she was relieved to find his bathroom. Once again she was amazed at the elegance of his home. Unlike the rest of the house, the bathroom was considerably bright. The bathtub and sink was an off white marble with gold spigots and faucet. The mirror above the sink also served as a medicine cabinet. Opening it, she was relieved to find a small bowl (among many potions) and a small towel hanging on the sink. Filling the bowl with lukewarm water, she made her way back to Snape and conjured a chair to sit in.

Dipping the towel in the bowl, she wrung it and began to dab it on his head. Looking over his features, many thoughts were running through her head. The most prominent one being, _Why am I helping out the man who murdered Headmaster Dumbledore? _

She placed the towel in the bowl and sat there, gathering all her Gryffindor courage for what she had to do next. She could actually feel her heart beating and the sweat falling down her forehead.

She had to remove his robes.

Gulping and squeezing her eyes shut, she held her wand above his body and waved it. Knowing that it would remove everything he was wearing minus his underwear. Slowly opening her eyes, she peeked through one eye and they immediately widened when she saw just how much those billowing black robes of his could hide. Gods, the man was fit!

From his well muscled arms, to his broad chest down to his six-pack. She was surprised that he wore silk boxers. Well…wasn't he full of surprises? She looked to his legs and literally felt her stomach do flip flops at how well toned and muscled they were.

Apparently, black robes hide more than people think!

Hermione shakily reached out and brushed her fingers across his ribs. She looked up to his face to make sure he was asleep before moving on. She grew bolder and started to lightly caress his abs. She moved over to his other ribs and felt them as well. Lucky for him, he only had a few bruises and scratches. The only major wound he had was the gash on his head, and that was not even that bad once Hermione cleaned up all the dry blood. A simple healing charm removed it entirely. All he really needed was some rest to get rid of the fever and a good cleaning.

Hermione gulped and the room suddenly seemed to get very hot. She removed her shoes and climbed on the bed with Snape. She moved to sit on the pillows and pulled his head onto her lap. Looking down at him, she noticed how he seemed to visibly relax and she could see barely see the small smile that played on his fine, thin lips. She pushed a stray hair away from his face, lightly touching his cheek.

Before she could stop herself, she ran her knuckles up and down his cheek. She was surprised at how soft it really was. She didn't even notice the smile that crept across her face.

_You know, this close…he doesn't look so bad. _

Hermione widened her eyes at that thought and jerked her hand back, completely shocked that she had just thought that her ex professor was attractive.

_Attractive! Get a hold of yourself Granger! This is Severus Snape we're talking about here! The grimy, greasy, old, overgrown bat! _

_But he really isn't! Why deny it? _

_Because it's disgusting and screams pedophilia! _

Hermione rubbed her temples. The two voices in her head needed to be dealt with before she ends up having headaches for the rest of her life. Hermione turned to the bowl, and with a flick of her wand, it enlarged to a size where his head could fit in it. She warmed it and conjured up a large towel and shampoo. The witch then made a dip in the side of the bowl where she could rest Snape's neck. Bringing the bowl into her lap with one hand and lifting the man's head with the other, she placed the bowl in her lap and gently laid his head in it. Rubbing her hands together, she proceeded to wash his hair.

All the while she was doing this; Hermione couldn't help but marvel at how soft his hair was. Looking down at him, she thought back to all those times when she had once feared and hated him. She shivered when she remembered how he used to enter the classrooms dramatically and glare down at the whole class. Then she felt a twinge of anger when she remembered how he always seemed to ignore her whenever he asked a difficult question to the class. She would always raise her hand, eager to answer the question and he would look over her as if she wasn't there. What really angered and annoyed her was that when she would speak up he would deduct points from Gryffindor!

Still, Hermione couldn't ignore the times when Snape had helped and even protected her and her friends. From trying to stop Quirrel in their first year to when he agreed to teach Harry Occlumency to protect his mind from Voldemort in their fifth year.

Now that she thought about it, there were two things that really bothered her. One, Dumbledore was the wisest, powerful and most brilliant wizard she knew. Could a man such as him really misjudge a man like Snape? He had said on several occasions that he trusted Snape wholeheartedly. He couldn't make a mistake like that. And two, when he did kill Dumbledore, why didn't he kill Harry as well?

Hermione took the towel and wrapped it around his head after she tapped the bowl to make it disappear along with the water in it and shampoo. Drying his hair, she looked down at him, her face taking on a look of deep concentration. Just who in Merlin's name was this man? Friend…or foe?

She looked up when she heard the grandfather clock in the corner of his room gong 7 times. "Bloody hell is that time? Its dinner time and Harry and Ron are going to be worried if I'm not there." Easing his head off her lap and gently laying it on the pillows, she scrambled off the bed and quickly summoned a black shirt and pajama pants on him to cover his beautiful marble skin.

Hermione shook her head, "Beautiful? Gods, I'm losing my mind."

She then summoned the blanket on top of him before pulling on her shoes and started to run out the room. Before she walked past the curtains, she turned to look back at him felt a wave of unexplained relief. Shaking her head, Hermione turned and ran out his dormitories. Casting wards on the door so no one could get in, she ran as quickly as she could to the Great Hall. Hopefully Harry and Ron hadn't noticed how long she was gone. Though, knowing the two over protective men that they were, she highly doubted it.


	3. Wake up!

**Author's Note: Yes it has been a while and I'M SOOOOOO SORRY!!! seriously, i live in a family of six and my mom and sisters like to hog the computer a lot. I hope that this chapter is long enough for you!! Review please!! I need to know what you guys think!!**

_Disclaimer: No I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters!!! How many times must we go through this?!_

Hermione was right, as soon as she sat at the table beside Harry and Ron; they once again, bombarded her with questions. "What the bloody hell took you so long 'Mione? The food was growing cold! Where did you go anyway?" Ron asked one question after another, not giving Hermione a chance to answer. When he finally stopped, Hermione crossed her arms.

"Are you done now?" She asked, slight irritation in her voice. Harry chuckled when he saw Ron's ears grow red. "If you must know Ronald, I went to Diagon Alley with Headmistress McGonagall's permission. There were a few books I wanted to buy from Flourish and Blotts." She said, deciding it'd be safer that she left out the little detail that included the finding of Snape. She looked away to avoid their eyes.

Hermione didn't like lying to her friends, but she figured that if they knew she was helping Snape, they would hate her forever and they would both be storming down to the dungeons to kill him. Hermione suddenly felt sick. The thought of her two best friends murdering Snape disturbed her for some odd reason. Shaking it off, she began to dig into her food.

Harry laughed, "Of course. Go to Diagon Alley for the books only."

Ron laughed as well, "Of course! That's our Hermione!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly you two, why does it bother you so much that I enjoy some light reading now and then?" She ended with a smile. Ron and Harry looked at her in shock.

"Light reading? 'Mione, you're idea of light reading is reading 20 books a day!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione made a face at her friend and turned her attention back to her food.

_Boys…_

"So Harry, who you taking to the end of year ball?" Ron asked the brunette.

Harry shrugged, "Dunno. Don't really think we can afford it y'know? We've got to find the rest of the Horcruxes so we can finally get rid of Volde-"

"Don't say his name!" Ron interjected

Harry rolled his eyes, "You-Know-Who then!"

Hermione looked up, "So I'm guessing that right after school is let out, we're going to look for them?"

Harry nodded, "We can't waste any more time than we already have."

Ron was confused, "Then why didn't we just skip school and go look for them?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. Honestly, she was amazed sometimes that Ron was able to make it to his 7th year. "We've been through this a hundred times Ron! If we had set out immediately at the beginning of the year, we would've been in danger the whole time. And besides, we need to complete our education! If I were to die, I'd rather die a graduate."

Her point made, Hermione gathered her books and headed towards the library.

The two teens looked after for a moment, their expressions unreadable. They looked to each other and burst into laughter.

"That's Hermione for you!" Ron said through a fit of laughter.

Harry shook his head and resumed to eating his meal. He would never get tired of his best friend's sense of logic.

Hermione sat at her table, completely engrossed in her book. It was rather fascinating actually, especially the potions area. Of course she knew that there were potions for nearly everything, but some of the things they needed it for were absolutely ridiculous.

Honestly, who in their right mind would take a potion for a fit body? You want it so bad, work out. You'd appreciate it more if you worked hard to get it. Flipping through pages, her mind wondered off to a certain ex-professor who was currently lying unconscious in his room. Just what was he doing in Knockturn Alley? And in such a bad condition? She would've thought that the Dark Lord would've welcomed him with open arms after what he did.

At that thought, she felt her heart clench in pain. First off, why had he done that? Why did he murder Dumbledore? None of it made sense! He was a spy for the Order; he had defended Harry against Quirrell in their first year, and he had attempted to protect the three of them when Lupin transformed into a werewolf. Was it all just an act? A ruse to get them all to believe them and then betray them?

Closing her book and getting up to put it back in its rightful place, she set off towards the Head common room. Along the way, she could not help but worry if Snape was well or not. Making a last minute decision, she headed back down the stairs she was climbing and made way to the dungeons. Hopefully he was ok so that she could go to bed and get some decent sleep without him haunting her mind.

_It was dark. He couldn't breathe. Kneeling on the floor, Snape clutched his chest above his heart as he heard the cries from his past._

"_We're still friends Sev but…" _

"_Why should I believe you?"_

"_You oversized greasy bat!"_

"_You coward!"_

_Howling he felt the words sink into his being and cause him unbearable pain. Twisting and convulsing on the floor, he thought that this was it. He would finally get what he deserved. As he lay there on the floor, he stilled and waited for the Death's bittersweet embrace._

'_Come,' he begged inwardly, 'take me away.'_

_Suddenly…the pain stopped. The extremely heavy weight on his chest was lifted and it was easier for him to breathe. Sitting up, he noticed the echoes faded away until it stopped all together. He was confused, what was happening?_

_A bright white light shined in front of him. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he saw a figure standing there, and from the shape of its body, it was a woman. _

_A woman with flowing wavy hair that flew behind her. He dress, matching the whiteness of the light, billowed behind her as well. Looking up, he could not see her face for it was hidden by a shadow. _

_She opened her mouth, "Severus." She said her voice so soft. _

"_Who are you? How do you know my name?" He asked. _

_There was no response and he could feel, rather than see, that she was smiling down at him. _

"_Who are you?" He asked again, this time much harsher._

_In response she said, "Wake up."_

"_What?" What was she talking about? _

"_Wake up Severus. Please wake up!" She said again, her voice growing urgent. _

_Severus shook his head and saw that she was slowly fading away into the darkness. _

'_No…no no no don't go!' his mind begged. _

Stirring in his sleep, the first thing Snape was aware of was the soreness of his entire upper body. Then he felt a cold cloth on his forehead that was soothing to his hot skin. Fluttering his eyes open, everything around him was a blur.

"What…" he said weakly. Turning to his side, he saw a figure there. He could not make out the owner's face. "Who- who are you?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Hermione gulped, should she answer? When she came to his room, his limbs were entangled in the blanket and he was convulsing violently in the bed, his face, the perfect picture of torture and anguish. Quickly rushing to his side, she tried to calm him. She tried calling his name and even went to extreme measures to rub his chest. Nothing would work.

"Professor Snape? Professor Snape please wake up!" She begged, shaking his arm. It didn't work.

Finally, she said softly, "Severus." When his body relaxed and felt relief was over like a large wave. "Wake up." She said again. Summoning a cold damp cloth, she pressed it to his forehead, wiping away his sweat. When he did not wake she said again, her voice growing urgent, "Wake up Severus. Please wake up!"

She immediately let out the breath that she had been holding in when he fluttered his eyes open.

"I-it's me sir. Hermione Granger." She said nervously. Now she was thinking twice about waking him. Perhaps she should've waited, or tried something else to calm him. Too late now, he was awake.

"Granger?" Snape said as he struggled to sit up. Hermione gently pushed him back down.

"Don't sir. You're still hurt and you shouldn't exercise too much energy. You need rest!"

Snape reluctantly fell back onto the pillow. Blinking, he finally got a good look at her. He was momentarily shocked to see how much she had grown. Her round face had now matured, her eyes held wisdom and knowledge from past experience and her hair was now tamed and fell around her face. He also noticed that her lips were pink and lush.

Quickly turning away from that line of thought, he was surprised to be waking up to her of all people. What was he doing here? Suddenly, the memories of the previous night came flooding back. The torturing, stumbling through Knockturn Alley, then blackout.

Looking up at her now, he felt a strange tingling sensation when he saw the worried look in her brown eyes. She was worried…? For him?

"Miss Granger, what are you doing here?" He asked his voice devoid of emotion.

Here she blushed brightly and turned away. "I-I found you and brought you here sir." She said nervously.

He arched and a curious eyebrow, "I see." Looking around, he recognized his private quarters at Hogwarts. Realizing this, he bolted upright in bed, resisting the urge to let out a cry of pain. "Why did you bring me here?" He asked furiously.

Hermione stood and was trying to push him back down. "Please sir, you must rest. I could not think of anywhere else to take you so I brought you to the safest place I know." She explained, trying desperately to get him to understand. Somehow she predicted that he would be furious. Well, the man would just have to suck it up.

Snape whipped his head towards her, his obsidian eyes shining with anger. Hermione flinched, but refused to turn away from the black fires that were his eyes.

"Have you any idea of the seriousness of what you have done?" His voice dripping with rage, "If they were to find out I'm here, both you and I would be sent to Azkaban."

Hermione faltered slightly. She had not thought about that. He was right, if anyone ever found out that she had aided the murderer of Albus Dumbledore, she would certainly be sentenced to face that Dementor's Kiss.

'You could always say that you found him and took him in to turn him in.'

'No! Absolutely not! You cannot subject a man so easily to face the torture of the Dementor's Kiss.'

'Then what are you supposed to do? Keep taking care of him? What then Hermione?'

'We'll figure that out when he get to that point. Right now he needs to rest.'

Her decision made, her lips thinned, determined. "Professor, you need to rest." Her voice indicated that she would not take "No" for an answer.

Snape's eyes narrowed even more, his lips thinned.

"Miss Granger-"

"Yes yes I understand the severity of the situation and frankly I really don't give a damn. Right now you need to lie down and regain your strength."

His eyes widened at her outburst. No one had dared to stand up to him and here was this young Gryffindor telling him what to do.

His face twisted with reluctance, he finally lay back down. It was then did he notice that his chest was bare. He looked up at her, a questioning look in his eyes.

He was rewarded with another blush as she turned away.

"You were hurt…what else was I supposed to do?" She explained softly.

Severus said nothing, but inside he was amused. "Normally I would lash out at you for even daring to enter my private chambers, but given the situation, I will ignore it this time." He said his voice cold and detached.

Hermione glared at him. Oh yes, this was the man she once knew, cold, cruel and snarky.

Pushing away the urge to retort she grumbled, "Yes Professor."

She froze when she saw his eyes darken dangerously. "Don't call me that Miss Granger. I'm no longer your Professor."

"What should I call you then Sir?"

Severus thought about this. "You may call me Snape." He said.

Hermione nodded slightly disappointed that she would not be able to use his given name.

Suddenly remembering that he had not eaten she asked, "Are you hungry sir?"

Snape looked up at her and felt a hunger so strong rise within him that he had to fight the urge to yell "Yes!" Instead, he simply nodded.

Hermione stood and made her way to the door. Opening it, she paused at the entrance and turned her head back to him. "I'll be back shortly. Try to behave while I'm gone." She said before she thought it over. She expected him to lash out at her. Imagine her surprised when he smirked.

"I shall. Now hurry you impudent girl." He growled.

Hermione left the room, slightly angry at his insult. Then again, this was Snape. The only language he knew was insults and threats. Hermione sighed tiredly; nursing Snape back to health was certainly going to be interesting…and risky.

Very risky.


End file.
